My past 4 "fun" cars have been a 2009 STI, 2009 Boxster S, 2005 350z AE, and 2013 FR-S. All had 300+ hp other than the FR-S. If I had to rank them:
1) The Boxster S was my favorite - roughly the size/weight of the FR-S but with 310 hp. Wasn't a huge fan of how the car looked, but everything else was pretty damn amazing. Might buy another 987.2S one day, it was that good.
2) The FR-S is a close 2nd, lots of smiles and fun times with it. Surprises folks in faster cars at the track. Still enjoying it and no matter what else I buy in the future, I'll probably always keep it as my track car, especially having finished a set of track mods on it.
3) The STI hatch would probably rank 3rd. Loved the blend of utility and power, but the handling and feedback were a letdown. Interestingly a lot of friends/family (non-car folks who rode as passengers) liked this one the best. Maybe it was the alcantara/leather seating and roomy interior.
4) I'd place the 350z 4th. I liked this car, but it never blew me away in any category. It wasn't light enough to make you feel connected to it like the Boxster S or FR-S, but also not practical enough to justify its extra weight compared to the STI hatch (AWD, rear seats and a hatch). Sort of the worst of both worlds - heavy and impractical.
I can't say any of them have been bad. There are certainly times I miss having 300+ hp, but the FR-S has earned its spot in my garage.
